New Boys & Girls Club Opens Enrollment to All WPS Students

All Westminster Public Schools (WPS) students can now apply for a spot in the Westminster Boys & Girls Club, which opened on Sept. 4, 2018, at Hidden Lake High School located at 7300 Lowell Blvd. The initial priority registration window for middle schools students and their siblings has ended, and now additional WPS students are eligible to apply.

WPS students, families and educators are invited to a special ribbon cutting and open house ceremony on Tuesday, Oct. 9, at 5 p.m. when WPS board members and leaders will officially unveil the new program to the community.

"This is an exciting project and a long time coming," said Ken Ciancio, WPS Board of Education member who was a lead supporter of the project. "The time after school and while parents are at work is often a vulnerable time for young people. Our community has repeatedly expressed its desire to create a safe environment for our kids where they could have access to education, art and recreation."

The program is open daily, Monday through Friday, from 3 to 8 p.m. Busing will also be available to and from a students' school to the Westminster Boys & Girls Club. Other program highlights include:

College and career preparation courses

Homework help

Sports and games

STEM activities

Cultural arts programs

Field trips across the city

Free dinners for families

The Boys & Girls Club of Metro Denver serves approximately 10,000 children and their families in Denver. Statistics also show that students who are club members have a significantly higher on-time graduation rate than their peers. In addition, 93 percent of these graduating students will have a college or career plan in place due to the support they receive at the program.

WPS began researching the feasibility of a Westminster club during the 2017 school year and considered several locations in the community to house the program. Planning included numerous meetings with the Boys & Girls Club of Metro Denver leadership team and came to life after a tour of the Boys & Girls Club in Jefferson County.

In addition to funding from the school district, the Boys and Girls Club of Metro Denver secured a significant five-year grant from the 21st Century Community Learning Center to support this expansion. The City of Westminster is also considering an appropriation to support the program.